IIA 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 27 

Authorizing special awards to World War I and World War II veterans 

of the United States Navy Armed Guard. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 

Mrs. MURRAY introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Authorizing special awards to World War I and World War 

II veterans of the United States Navy Armed Guard. 

Whereas the members of the United States Navy Armed 

Guard sailed the oceans and seas on merchant ships during World War I and World War II to protect important 

cargo from capture or destruction by the enemy; 

Whereas naval officers, gunners, radiomen, signalmen, medics, and radarmen serving on American merchant ships 

comprised the United States Navy Armed Guard, a force 

that grew to 144,970 personnel during World War II; 

Whereas the mariners who served in the United States Navy 

Armed Guard fought bravely, often under heavy fire, and 

many even as the decks of their ships were awash and 

sinking beneath the ocean waves; 
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Whereas, of the 6,236 merchant ships (including the 2,710 

famous Liberty Ships) on which detachments of the 

United States Navy Armed Guard served during World 

War II, 720 ships (including 216 Liberty Ships) were 

sunk, and many more were damaged by enemy action; 

Whereas approximately 1,810 members of the United States 

Navy Armed Guard died and many more were wounded 

in the service of their country in World War II, a casualty rate that grimly rivals the casualty rate of any 

other defined force of the Armed Forces during World 

War II; 

Whereas, on April 4, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 

issued a proclamation, ‘‘with each Commander in Chief 

to follow doing the same’’, designating May 22, 1945, as 

National Maritime Day in honor of those who sailed the 

oceans and seas transporting supplies of every sort to 

both the peaceful and war-torn nations of the world; 

Whereas the nations of the world owe their freedom, in part, 

to the sacrifices of the members of the United States 

Navy Armed Guard, and many of those nations have 

awarded special medals to veterans of the United States 

Navy Armed Guard in recognition of their heroic actions; 

Whereas the United States Government has failed to follow 

the lead of those nations in recognizing the members of 

the United States Navy Armed Guard with a special 

medal that honors them as the American heroes that they 

are; 

Whereas the United States Government has recognized the 

military character of the service in the United States 

Navy Armed Guard by awarding each member that 

served during World War II at least 1 of the 3 World 
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War II campaign medals for service in the American 

Theater, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, and the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater; 

Whereas the mariners who served in the United States Navy 

Armed Guard aboard United States cargo ships during 

World War I, and those who served honorably to protect 

civilians and freight on vessels under foreign flags during 

both World War I and World War II, were equally dedicated, intrepid, and heroic, and are equally deserving of 

recognition with a special medal; 

Whereas Chief Boatswain Mate John Eopolucci of the United 

States Navy Armed Guard was the first United States 

serviceman to die in World War I, and 

Whereas the United States has not adequately recognized the 

heroism and sacrifices of the members of the United 

States Navy Armed Guard during World War I and 

World War II; and 

Whereas there are no white crosses to designate the burial 

places of United States Navy Armed Guards who died at 

sea serving their country, and these men have never been 

appropriately honored for their service: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. JOHN EOPOLUCCI UNITED STATES NAVY 

4 ARMED GUARD SERVICE MEDAL. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized and 

6 urged to award— 
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1 (1) to each person who served at sea as a mem2 ber of the United States Navy Armed Guard during 

3 World War I or World War II, a special medal of 

4 a design appropriate for recognizing service in the 

5 United States Navy Armed Guard, as service in a 

6 special force of the United States Navy, together 

7 with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances and a 

8 Presidential Unit Citation; and 

9 (2) to each person who served exclusively on 

10 shore duty as a member of the United States Navy 

11 Armed Guard during World War I or World War II, 

12 a special pin or badge of a design appropriate for 

13 recognizing service in the United States Navy Armed 

14 Guard as service in a military organization of the 

15 United States Navy. 

16 (b) NAME OF AWARD.—The medal awarded pursuant 

17 to subsection (a) shall be known as the John Eopolucci 

18 United States Navy Armed Guard Service Medal. 

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